Spring sash balance



May 17, 1938. A. F. MANTz SPRING SASH BALANCE Filed April l, 1936 Patented May 17, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SPRING SASH BALANCE Aloysius F. Mantz, Los Angeles, Calif; Application Aprill, 1936, Serial No. 72,066-

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a spring sash balance, and the construction herein described is an improvement on the spring sash balance covered by the United States Letters Patent No. 1,669,990, issued to me May 15, 1928, also Patent No. 1,898,584, issued to me February 21, 1933.

The principalv objects ef my present invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the sash balance covered by my aforesaid patents, and particularly, Patent No.

` 1,669,990, as well as other forms of similar spring sash balances, and further, to provide a sash balance that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, capable of being readily installed and which is practically automatic in operation and functions.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a spring sash balance having two wire or cablereceiving drums mounted on a common axle, with a spiral spring arranged between said axle and one of the drums, and means arranged between the axle and the other drum for transmitting the resistance oiered by the spiral spring to said other drum, in other words, utilizing the yielding resistance offered by one coil spring for two independently operating wire or cable carvrying drums.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a spring sash balance that is entirely automatic in action, capable of being readily adjusted so as to regulate the tension ofthe spring in relation to the weights of the window sash with which the balance is associated, and further to provide a balance that is noiseless in operation, of. strong and durable structureV and very effective in service.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

my invention consists in certain novel features `ist of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a spring sash balance constructed in accordance with my invention.v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 in Fig. l, with the upper portion of the housing broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the spring sash balance looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 1, with the upper portion of the housing broken awayand in section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line "-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a sash balance 5 unit that includes two of the single units, and which construction may be employed in connection with a relatively heavy window sash.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a bow spring that is utilized in my improved sash balance. lo

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the axle on which the drums are mounted, and to which the inner end of the spiral spring is connected.v

Fig. 10 is a detail vertical section of the combined hook and Yglider that is utilized for attaching the wires or cables to the window sash.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I0 designates the front plate of the housing, which plate is provided in its end portion with apertures II for the reception of screws that rigidly secure the sash balance to the stiles of the window frame. 5

Formed at or near the center of plate I0 is a u circular aperture I2, and formed around said aperture and projecting rearwardly therefrom, is a short circular flange I3.

To combine with plate I0 in providing a hous- 30 ing for the operating parts of the balance, a substantally rectangular plate I4 is applied to the rear face of plate I0, and formed integral with said plate I4 is a circular cup-shaped housing vI5 having a wall I6 that occupies a plane par- 3,-,

allel with plate I0.

vPlate I4 and housing I5 are detachably connected to plate I0 by means of ears Ilia that project from the side edges of plate IU, and which are bent around the adjacent edges of plate I4, and to further secure these parts, ears or lips II project from the upper and lower portions of cup I5, and said ears or lips pass through slots I8 that are formed in plate I0 and then bend downwardly against the face of said plate I0.

Projecting inwardly from the center of the Wall I6 of cup I5 is a circular stud I9 that functions as a bearing for a tubular axle 26, the opposite end of which has bearing on ange .|3. This tubular axle is'provided with a narrow lon- 50 gitudinally disposed slot 21, and formed in the end of said tubular shaft that engages the ange I3 are short longitudinally disposed notches 28.

Positioned within the rear portion of the housing formed by the cup I5 and front plate I0, is 55 a drum comprising a disc 29 with the edge of which is formed integral a circumferential channel-shaped ange 96. Disc 29 is provided with a centrally arranged aperture 9| for the reception of the axle 26, thereby enabling the drum cornprising the disc 29 and flange 90 to rotate freely on the axle, and arranged within said drum, is a spiral spring 92, the inner end of which terminates in a hook. 99 that engages in slot 21 in the axle, and the outer end of this spiral spring is secured in any suitable manner to ange 90.

Secured to and adapted to wind on flange 90 is a wire or cable 94 which passes downwardly from one side of the drum through an aperture 96 that is formed in the circular wall of the drum, thence forwardly and downwardly through coinciding apertures 96 that are formed through the lower portions of plates I9 and I4.

The lower end of this.wire or cable carries a hook, or other suitable means, whereby it may be detachably connected to one of the sashes of the window.

Occupying the space within the housing between the drum comprising disc 29 and flange 90, is a drum comprising a disc 91 with the edge of which is formed integral a circumferential ange 98 that is channel shaped in cross-section. This drum is mounted to rotate freely upon .th tubular axle 26. A wire or cable 99 is secured to and adapted to wind on the flange 98, and said wire or cable extends downwardly from one side of said drum through anaperture 40 that is formed through the circular wall I5 of the housing on the opposite side from aperture 95, and said cable extends from said aperture 40 downwardly through coinciding apertures 4I that are formed through the lower portions of plates Il! and I4.

Aperture 4| is located on the opposite side of the housing from aperture 96, through which passes, cable 94, and the lower end of said wire or cable 99 carries a hook 42, or other means, whereby it may be detachably secured to one of the window sashes. Formed through plate III, preferably above the central aperture I2, is a small aperture 49, and formed through the disc 91 of the drum that is positioned immediately behind front plate I 0, is a series of apertures 44 arranged inv a circle so that'they will coincide With aperture 49, as the drum is rotated. These apertures are provided in order that a nail, or the like,

may be inserted through aperture 49, and through one of the apertures 44, that hold the drum in which said apertures are formed against rotation when the tubular shaft 26 is rotated to wind or unwind spring 922 and, thereby increase or decrease the tension thereof.

A ratchet wheel comprising a disc 45 provided with radially disposed teeth 46 is provided with arcuate slots 41, for the reception of those portions of the tubular shaft 26 between the notches 29, thus mounting said ratchet wheel upon the tubular shaft so as to rotate therewith.

Formed in the center of disc 45 is a slot or noncircular opening 48 adapted to receive the point of a screw driver, or like tool, that is utilized in rotating the tubular shaft.

Pressed rearwardly from disc 91 is a circular row of lugs or teeth 49 that are provided at their forward ends with straight faces or shoulders, that are adapted to be engaged by the teeth 46 of the ratchet wheel, and these Ilugs or teeth 49 are shaped so that when the rachet wheel is rotated in one direction so as to wind spring 96, the teeth 46 of said rachet wheel will slide freely over said lugs or teeth 49.

' by'the insertion of a nail, or the like, through axle, the central portion of said bow spring bears 5 against the disc 45 of the rachet wheel, and the ends of said spring bear against the disc 29 of the drum that incloses spiral spring 92. (See Fig. 4.)

When my improved sash balance is installed,

plate I Ii is secured to the window stile by means 10 of screws that pass through the apertures Il,

wind said spring to Ythe desired degree, and dur ing this operation, the drum comprising disc 91 and channel 99 is held against rotary movement aperture 49 and through one of the apertures 44. During' this tensioning operation, the teeth of the rachet wheel ride past the teeth or lugs 49 on disc 91, and which movement of the rachet wheel is permitted by bow spring 90, which flexes slightly as the teeth of the rachet wheel-pass the teeth 49.

When the sash balance is properly installed and the spring 32 is adjusted as just described, and both sash are closed, the spring is partially wound so that a certain degree of tension prevails in said spring.

When the lower sash is raised the wire or cable that is connected thereto is Wound upon its drum, due to the unwinding of the spring 92, which is under tension and as the lower sash is 40 closed the cable connected thereto will rotate the drum to which it is connected so as to rewind the spring. When the upper sash is lowered the Wire or cable connected thereto will rotate the drum to which it is connected so as to wind up 45l ,wound from the outside, due to the fact that the outer end of said spring is connected to flange 90, and when the drum comprising disc 91 and flange 98 is rotated clockwise, the spring is 55 wound from the inside, due to the fact that the ratchet wheel that is rotated as a result of the engagement of the X lugs or teeth 49 with the teeth of said ratchet wheel imparts rotary movement to the latter, and as said ratchet wheel is 00 mounted on the end of the tubular shaft 26, the latter is rotated. 'I'he inner end of spring 92 is connected to the tubular axle 26, so that under such conditions, the spring is wound from the inside.

Under normal operating conditions, spring 92 which is partially wound, is poised in equilibrium, and functions as a counter-balance for both the upper and lower sash. 'I'he tension of the spring under normal conditions is insumcient to move 70 either one of the sash, due to the weight thereof, plus the frictional resistance resulting from the engagement of the stiles of the sash with thewindow frame, the parting strips and the stops. Further, a certain degree of resistance is 75 developed by the. engagement of the wires or cables 34 and 39 with the edges of the openings 35 and 40, and likewise the edges of the openings 36 and 4I, through which said wires or cables pass.

The ratchet wheel 45 thatis mounted on the end of the tubular axle 26 so as to rotate therewith, provides a driving connection between the inner end of the spring 32 and the drum comprising the disc 31 and flange 38, inasmuch as the teeth of said ratchet wheel normally engage the teeth 49 on said drum, but at the same time, the connection is such that the tubular axle may be rotated to impart `the proper degree of tension to the spring 32.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a two unit structure particularly designed for use in connection with the relatively heavy sash. In this construction, an elongated housing 55 in which is mounted for rotation, one above the other, two of the tubular shafts 26, and each shaft having mounted thereon, two cable or wire-carrying drums. The cables or wires 56 from these drums, pass through openings 51 in the lower portion of the front wall of the housing, and connected to the lower ends of each pair of wires is a sash engaging hook such as 42. Thus in the one structure, each shaft is counter-balanced by two springs.

In Fig. 10, I have shown in vertical-section, one of the hooks utilized for connecting the ends of the wires or cables to the sash, and such hook comprises a substantially L-shaped body portion' 42a and with a prong or prongs 42b projecting upwardly from the horizontal arm of said body portion, and which prongs are driven into the lower rail of the window sash. Depending from the vertical leg of the body of the hook is a curved plate 42c, which frictionally engages the face of the stile of the window frame, and thus the hook performs the functions of both an attaching hook for the wire or cable, and a glider for the sash in its vertical movement.

The wire or cable that connects the sash with the balance passes through an aperture 42d formed in the upper portions of the parts 42a and 42e, and the lower end of said wire or cable passes through an aperture 42e that is formed in the horizontal leg of the hook.

In my improvedsash balanceVthe spring 32 functions as a resilient and yielding equalizer between the wire or cable connections and the two sash of the window, and that said spring yieldingly supports and balances the two sash in both open and closed positions, and at any and all intermediate points in their travel.

The spring pressed ratchet 45 engaging the detents 49 on one drum functions as a connection between the inner end of the spiral spring that is secured to tubular shaft 26, and the drum with which the ratchet wheel engages, and the engagement of said ratchet wheel with the drum is such Vthat the latter may be held stationary while the tubular shaft carrying the ratchet is therein, the required degree of tension.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a spring sash balance that is relatively simple in construction, practical and noiseless in operation, inexpensive of manufacture, capable of being readily installed and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It Will bel understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved spring sash balance may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spring sash balance, a pair of cablecarrying drums mounted for independent rotary movement, a spiral spring having its outer end connected to one of said drums and means ad- `justably connecting the inner end of said springI with the other drum.

2. In a spring sash balance, a rotatably mounted shaft, a pair of cable-carrying drums mounted for'independent rotation upon said shaft, a spiral spring having its outer end connected to one of said drums, and its inner end connected to said shaft and means adjustably connecting said shaft and the other one of said drums.

3. In a spring sash balance, a rotatably mounted shaft, a pair of cable-carrying drums mounted for independent rotation upon said shaft, a spiral spring having its outer end connected to one of said drums, and its inner end connected to said shaft, detents formed on the other one of said drums and a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft. with the teeth of said ratchet wheel in engagement with said detents.

4. In a spring sash balance, a housing, a shaft journaled therein, a pair of drums mounted for independent rotary movement on said shaft, a flexible member secured to and carried by the periphery of each drum, a spiral spring having its outer end secured to one of said drums, and its inner end secured to said shaft and a releasable driving connection between said shaft and the other one of said drums.

5. In a spring sash balance, a pair of cablecarrying drums mounted for independent rotary movement, a spiral spring having its outer end connected to one of said drums, means adjustably connecting the inner end of said spring with the other drum and means for holding the second mentioned drum against rotation while winding movement is imparted to said spiral spring.

6. A spring sash balance adapted to be positioned in an opening in a window jamb. which balanceiincludes a pair of cable-carrying drums and a spiral spring, the outer end of which spring is connected to one of said drums, and the inner end being adjustably connected to the other one of said drums, and which drums when positioned in the opening in the jamb, occupy positions substantially at right angles' to the plane occupied by the sash that bear against said jamb.

ALoYsIus F. MAN'rz. 

